The 5 Best Theme Parks In America That Aren't Afraid To Go Big With Halloween Festivities

Summer may be the most popular season for roller coaster rides and amusement park vacations, but fall is arguably even better. The cooler temperatures make long afternoons on your feet more tenable, the concession stalls are packed with autumnal treats, and in the modern age, most major theme parks also pull out all the stops to celebrate Halloween.

The fall spookfest has long been a staple of American amusement parks, with a history going back more than 50 years. While each park has its own unique rendition, the basics are generally the same: dress up a bunch of paid actors in scary costumes after dark, convert some dormant rides into immersive haunted houses, and pump in the fog. Some parks have taken a more family-friendly approach to the scary season, with pumpkin carvings and trick-or-treating events, while others have built reputations for truly frightful mazes and lush theming.

However you like to celebrate fall, there's a park out there with attractions to match. Of course, your options may be limited geographically, but for those willing to travel for that perfect Halloween event, we've assembled a list of some of the nation's greatest, looking at visitor ratings, professional reviews, and industry awards. Honorable mentions go to Fright Fest at Six Flags, Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion, and HalloWeekends at the legendary Cedar Point — all great events that just missed the cut. These are the best amusement parks in America that aren't afraid to go big with their Halloween festivities.

It's a bit stereotypical at this point to start a list of Halloween theme park events with Knott's Scary Farm, but it would simply be wrong not to do so. This seasonal attraction, begun back in 1973, is the originator of the modern amusement park spookfest model, as well as the longest-running example. The annual event has been around for more than 50 years, and it remains one of the best in the country.

As the original, Knott's Scary Farm hits all the beats you'd expect. There are haunted houses and mazes, legions of costumed performers to trigger all the most popular fears, and special shows themed to the holiday. The main frights are relegated to a set of 10 mazes and five "scare zones," more open areas of the park where the performers are at more liberty to leap out and get a scream out of you. Tickets these days start at $60 for basic admission to the event, with more expensive meal packages and discounts for pass holders both available.

In 2005, Knott's Berry Farm took home the inaugural Best Halloween Event title at Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards, and while it's not the biggest winner ever in that category (we'll get there later, don't worry), its legacy has remained a huge part of the spooky season for park-goers across America. If you can make the trip to Buena Park, California this fall, it's worth a visit.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Kennywood Park may not get as much press as the Disney Worlds, Six Flags, and Universal Studios of the world, but it's been a favorite spot for park fans and coaster enthusiasts for decades. The park has been running for over 120 years, first opening its doors to the public back in 1899. Today, it's home to some of the most beloved roller coasters in America, as well as a fantastic Halloween event called Phantom Fall Fest.

Sharing a name and mascot with one of Kennywood's most famous coasters, Phantom's Revenge, this seasonal celebration is great because it splits the difference between fall fun and Halloween spooks. Before sunset, the park is a festive, family-friendly Halloween destination, complete with seasonal activities for kids and tons of fall-specific food and drinks available. This is all accented by the extensive decorations and the gorgeous Pennsylvania landscape, which is a huge part of Kennywood's appeal. Visiting during the day is a great way to take in the Pennsylvania fall foliage and take a ride on legendary wooden roller coasters like the Jack Rabbit or the Thunderbolt.

Then, after dark, the park transitions into a full-on fright fest, complete with six themed haunted houses and four scare zones to explore. Kennywood really goes in-depth to create distinct worlds in its different Halloween attractions, ensuring that there's something for everyone's hidden terror. And even after the sun goes down, the lush mountainous surroundings of Pittsburgh elevate the experience significantly. Locals can get in with a season pass, and individual ticket prices vary, ranging from $30 to around $70.

If you go by industry awards, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando would be at the top of this list. This seasonal attraction has dominated Amusement Today's Best Halloween Event award for years, winning over a dozen times since 2006. That Golden Ticket success mirrors the feeling among fans, who consistently rate the event quite highly.

The big draws here are the sheer scale of the transformation and the licensed properties the park has access to through its parent company. For example, while some of the park's 10 haunted houses in 2024 are original concepts, others are directly inspired by Universal film franchises like "Ghostbusters," "Insidious," and "A Quiet Place." While that may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's a great combo for horror movie superfans. There are also five dedicated scare zones, and a number of the park's rides are open for business during the spooking hours.

Outside these specific attractions, the whole park is decorated extensively. And, as is common practice for the biggest Halloween amusement park attractions, there are themed food and drinks and live entertainment as well. The big caveat here is that, since it's Universal, the prices are notably higher than what you might find elsewhere on this list. Base single-night tickets start at $83, and they get substantially more expensive with the various Express Pass and VIP packages, so plan accordingly.

It's only right to have one entry on this list that's a bit less terrifying and a bit more festive. After all, Halloween isn't just about getting the loudest screams. Knoebels is America's largest free-admission amusement park, which may be enough on its own to get people interested. Even parking is free. And, like Kennywood, Knoebels benefits from the gorgeous Pennsylvania scenery, though it's located near Elysburg on the opposite side of the state.

Knoebels' Hallo-Fun Weekends are a nice respite from the scare-heavy attractions most theme parks offer in the fall, but that doesn't mean that they skimp on the theming. Festive light displays and autumnal decorations abound, along with a wide range of fun Halloween activities for all ages. Cookie decorating and pumpkin painting are available earlier in the day, and there are still some spooks to be had later in the evening when the lights come on and the Haunted Mansion starts doing big business.

The real winner here, though, is the food. Knoebels has a reputation for having some of the best, most varied, and most affordable theme park eats in the world, having won that category more than 20 times at the Golden Ticket Awards since 2000. That regular menu is expanded even more in autumn, with seasonal treats like pumpkin funnel cake and caramel apple dip added in. There are also food trucks available during the Hallo-Fun celebration, giving the whole park a kind of Halloween state fair vibe that makes it stand out against the competition. It's no wonder that Knoebels earned a top-three ranking on USA Today's 2023 reader poll of the best Halloween theme parks.

While it may not have as many awards as Universal or the same historic pedigree as Knott's Berry Farm, Busch Gardens' Howl-O-Scream may be the definitive Halloween theme park experience, as it covers basically every base. The various Howl-O-Scream events — held at both Busch Gardens parks and at SeaWorld locations, all of which are owned by the same parent company — earned the top spots on USA Today's Halloween amusement park reader poll in 2023. However, the particular version held every year at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Southern Virginia is the standout.

Regularly recognized as one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is themed around the various nations of Europe, with gorgeous landscaping to accent the distinctive architectural styles. This makes for an especially immersive experience, with past attractions including a catacombs-themed maze in the France section of the park, and modern "Terror-Tory" scare zones like Ripper Row in the England section. Of all the parks on this list, Busch is also arguably the best for roller coaster enthusiasts, with classics like Griffon, Alpengeist, Apollo's Chariot, and the Loch Ness Monster running alongside newer hits like Pantheon and the spooky DarKoaster. All nine coasters are open during Howl-O-Scream, guaranteeing some extra thrills.

Busch Gardens is also known for its food and live entertainment, both of which take a step up during Howl-O-Scream. Multiple live musical shows embrace the scary season, and there are various spots throughout the park dedicated to drinking and dancing for adult patrons. Plus, it all takes place in Williamsburg, Virginia, which offers plenty of other ghost tours to fill out your holiday weekend.

With most major theme parks today offering some kind of Halloween event in the fall, there were lots of options to pick from. These choices were made by consulting reader polls and rankings from publications like USA Today and aggregators like Tripadvsior, as well as industry accolades like Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. We also looked at the larger reputations of the parks beyond Halloween, the breadth of attractions available in the fall, and employed a bit of personal experience.